Lies and Perfection
by Ella Ynrihan
Summary: More exploration in the Normal-Spencer-verse. Takes place after iChristmas. What is going on? How can things be so angsty in such a 'perfect' place? Freddie secretly likes Carly and hates Rona, Spencer hates his fiancee, and Carly, well... A MUST READ!


A/N: My first iCarly fic, so don't be too brutal. This idea came to me when watching the iChristmas episode and so I thought why not explore the universe of Normal Spencer a little more? Well, enjoy and review! As far as pairings, well, I want my reviewers input. Please, please please! Should it be Carly/Freddie or Sam/Freddie? Should Spencer stay with Mrs. Benson or find someone else? Tell me! Please!

Chapter 1 – The Norm

For the Shay loft of the other dimension, this was the norm. Everything had a place and everything was in its place. The couch, the walls and all its other accessories matched beige and black. Fresh flowers sat on the coffee table and all the tasteful little side tables. All the furniture matched to the top style of home décor. Though the loft seemed complete and perfect, like its neighbors and residents, it was not.

Spencer Shay, the buttoned up and professional lawyer, owning his own law firm was an incomplete man. He was engaged to an older, unattractive woman he held no love for. He lived with his younger sister Carly, but not a young, temptress of a girlfriend like he imagined. He made plenty of money, but had abandoned his dream of art for law. He dressed in a suit, all the time, though it wasn't in his comfort zone. He didn't do what he wanted or what he wished. He did was he was expected. He did what was expected of him. He didn't live his life to the fullest.

Carly Shay, also known as Carlotta until her brother came up with the idea of her nickname, was also miserable. She was in a loveless situation, or rather a relationship which she did not love or even like the guy she was dating. Truth be told, she couldn't even stand him. She was dating her brother's business partner's son. She did it out of respect to her brother. She would really rather be with anyone else, and really anyone else. Her brother was dating their neighbor, her friend's mother. She would become he friend's aunt, though they were the same age. She wanted things to be different. If only things were different. Things would be better even if the house was a mess, if Spencer was a starving artist and if she single and alone.

Fredward 'Freddie' Benson was in a similar situation. He loved the girl named Carly Shay, the girl who would become his aunt after his mother married Carly's older brother. At least he was somewhat sure he did. But what he did know for sure was Freddie hated Rona Burger. No, even hate was too weak a word. He despised her with every fiber of his being. The hate he had for this girl would make the entire world quake if tested on the Richter scale. She was an unappreciative little brat, who didn't deserve anything she had. To endure everything during this unwanted relationship, he imagined Carly. And why did he not break up with this girl he hated, you ask? Well it was complicated and hard to explain. But he, like everyone else in his life was in a situation they had never wished to be in by choice.

This was the norm of this world and everyone seemed to be unhappy with it.

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After his sister's outburst that Christmas, Spencer Shay was a bit surprised and confused. What was wrong with his kid sister? Had she forgotten how everything was? What was with the idea of spaghetti tacos (though he had no idea what they were) when Christmas dinner was already on the table? And the idea of singing outside of church seemed a bit too farfetched for her own good. But some of the things Carly said made Spencer think. Did Carly want some of the same things he did? To be out of this life he lived of suits and papers to push? To not have to go to church every Sunday ? To be, well…out of the norm?

Marissa (Mrs. Benson) grabbed on to his arm and looked up into Spencer's eyes. She then looked onto the table and adjusted one the glass cups up eggnog to the left slightly. She was just the obsessive compulsive. "Spencer dearest, perhaps you should check on her." She squeezed his arm and slowly let go of his arm.

"No." Spencer said, looking at the bit of an audience he had right now of Rona, Freddie, and Nevel, along with his fiancée. "It would be better we wait out her rebellious attitude and take proper action in the morning. She will be fine, I'm sure. The humbug she is in right now will surely pass in time, especially after her gifts arrive."

Marissa shrugged. "If you say so, dearest." With that, she returned to preparing for dinner. Spencer and the others moved back into the living room section of apartment. Nevel and Rona sat down on the couch and Spencer sat down onto the couch. Freddie didn't sit down, but snuck up the stairs. No one seemed to notice as they were too busy 'celebrating'. Nevel and Rona clinked eggnog glasses while Spencer opened up champagne. Marissa soon joined them after she shut off the stove.

The night would probably end as normal. Spencer and Marissa would end up in separate beds, across the hall and four doors between them, with just a quick kiss before bed. Both Nevel and Rona would have their drivers pick them up and brought back to the richer section of Seattle. And it did end as it normally did. In the norm.

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Freddie walked up the stairs and hesitated as he heard some sniffling. It was no doubt in his mind that Carly would be sitting on the floor in front of the storage room. Why she went there was beyond his reasoning, and why she acted the way she did didn't make sense either. She was acting like she had when they were back in public preschool again when Carly had friends like that one blonde girl with the fists, when Freddie found Carly cute and when Spencer was not in charge of Carly then. Yes, Freddie still felt attracted to his soon-to-be aunt, but they didn't have the relationship they had way-back-when.

When Freddie peeked around, he saw Carly Shay sitting in front of the storage room. She was crying softly, her hands over her entire face. The feelings for this girl that he had a long while seemed to creep back into the heart of Fredward Benson. Maybe it was just teenage hormones or maybe it was really love. But regardless, slowly, Freddie walked over to her and sat down beside her. Carly didn't look up. Freddie leaned over, putting his arm around the dark-haired teenage girl. She again didn't seem to notice.

Carly seemed to cry harder as Freddie pulled her closer. She cried into Freddie's shoulder as he rocked her side to side, hushing at her. While he did so, he inhaled the shampoo smell in her hair. He felt the warmth of her body against his. He felt how she clung to him like he was the only reason she exist. He felt the feeling he wished to have whenever he and his so-called girlfriend attempted to be affectionate or cuddle. He felt it even more when Carly fell asleep on his shoulder. Freddie Benson was once again smitten with Carly Shay, a now forbidden choice for a girl.

This was the norm of Freddie Benson's love life: to have a crappie love life or to not have one at all.


End file.
